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CNN —Former President Donald Trump was dealt two major setbacks Thursday in his efforts to derail the criminal cases against him, with judges in the Georgia election interference case and in the federal classified documents case both rejecting bids by the presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee to have those cases thrown out. Trump has made similar presidential immunity arguments in the Georgia case and in the classified documents case. She wrote that prosecutors “make no reference to the Presidential Records Act” in the indictment against Trump and did not “rely” on the statute to bring charges. McAfee’s ruling is the latest step inching the state racketeering case against Trump forward. McAfee’s refusal to scrap the indictment comes as the free speech defense has repeatedly fallen short in pretrial wrangling in election meddling cases.

Persons: Donald Trump, Fani Willis, Jack Smith, –, Trump, Aileen Cannon, “, Cannon, ”, Scott McAfee, Willis, ” McAfee, McAfee, Tanya Chutkan, Steve Sadow, Smith, Trump’s Organizations: CNN, Trump, White, Records, Presidential, Circuit, Peach State, McAfee, National Archives, Prosecutors Locations: Georgia, Fulton County, New York, York, Washington ,, Florida, Atlanta, Peach

In Florida, Trump’s attorneys told Judge Aileen Cannon his Mar-a-Lago classified documents case should wait until after the 2024 election. But both hearings could have a significant impact on when – or whether – Trump will face trial in each of those two cases. The only case that appears set: Trump’s New York criminal trial will begin March 25, which Trump’s attorneys said was a “firm” date in court Friday. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis attends a hearing on the Georgia election interference case on Friday in Atlanta. When Trump’s attorneys argued for the hearing, Cannon pushed them to describe how they could narrow its scope and asked them to lay out specifically what a hearing would examine.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Aileen Cannon, Scott McAfee, Fani Willis, Nathan Wade, – Trump, Jack Smith’s, Willis, Wade, McAfee, Craig Gillen, Alex Slitz, “ We’ve, ”, Gillen, David Shafer, “, ” Gillen, Cannon, Jack Smith, –, Todd Blanche, ” Blanche, Jay Bratt, ” Bratt, ” Cannon, Trump, David Harbach, Biden, Harbach, Emil Bove, ” McAfee, Terrence Bradley, Donald Trump, Steve Sadow, Bradley –, What’s, they’ve, They’ve, Sadow, Bradley, ” Sadow Organizations: CNN, Trump, Fulton, Georgia Republican, “ Prosecutors, ”, Justice Department, Prosecutors, Biden White, FBI Locations: Florida, Georgia, Fulton County, Washington, York, Atlanta

The text messages raise questions about Bradley’s credibility, and the degree to which Merchant appeared to rely on his claims that she was then unable to substantiate elsewhere. Wade and Willis have admitted to being romantically involved, but both have testified their relationship started after Willis appointed Wade lead prosecutor in the Trump case. Merchant had said that he would contradict testimony from Willis and Wade once he took the stand. “Why would you speculate when she was asking you a direct question about when the relationship started?” Sadow pushed. The additional text messages show Bradley calling Merchant his “friend,” offering unsolicited advice, and also bashing Willis and Wade, Bradley’s former law partner.

Persons: Fani Willis, Donald Trump, Terrence Bradley, Ashleigh Merchant, Trump’s, Bradley, Willis, Nathan Wade, Wade, Bradley’s, Merchant, Trump, ”, Steve Sadow, ” Sadow, ” Bradley, “, Merchant ., ” Merchant, ” “, Michael Moore, Scott McAfee, ” Moore Organizations: CNN, Trump, Merchant Locations: Georgia, Wade’s

CNN —A Georgia lawyer who had been billed as a star witness in the effort to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis did not deliver damaging testimony Tuesday on her romantic relationship with prosecutor Nathan Wade. “I do not have knowledge of it starting, or when it started,” Bradley said at one point. That filing leveled allegations that Willis and Wade engaged in an improper romantic relationship from which Willis financially benefited. “Why would you speculate when she was asking you a direct question about when the relationship started?” Sadow pushed. That means attorneys can use it to bolster their legal arguments about whether Willis should be disqualified without witness testimony.

Persons: CNN —, Fani Willis, Nathan Wade, Terrence Bradley, Willis, Wade, Donald Trump, Bradley, –, “, ” Bradley, ” Ashleigh Merchant, ” Merchant, Scott McAfee, CNN’s Nick Valencia, ’ Bradley, Merchant, Willis ’, ‘, ’ ” Bradley, “ Mr, Richard Rice, ” Trump, Steve Sadow, ” Sadow, ’, McAfee Organizations: CNN, Fulton, Trump, Bradley Locations: Georgia, Fulton County, Atlanta, South Fulton

☆ Trump joins effort to get Fulton County DA dismissed from 2020 election case over affair allegations
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Holmes Lybrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Donald Trump’s attorneys are joining calls for the dismissal of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in the 2020 election subversion case against the former president and his co-defendants in Georgia, pointing to alleged misconduct between Willis and her lead prosecutor. The filing also points to public comments Willis recently made defending her choice to select the lead prosecutor, Nathan Wade, arguing that she violated Georgia rules for prosecutors. In comments Willis made at Atlanta’s Big Bethel A.M.E. Church earlier this month, the DA defended her team of prosecutors in the case, calling into question why only one of the three prosecutors was being attacked. The district attorney’s office declined to comment on the latest filing. Trump’s attorneys claim that Willis made a “calculated effort to foment racial bias” against the defendants with her comments, which run the risk of prejudicing the public and prospective jurors.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Fani Willis, Willis, Trump’s, Nathan Wade, Trump, ”, Steve Sadow, ” Willis, “, ” Trump, ” Sadow Organizations: CNN, Fulton County Superior Court, Big Locations: Fulton County, Georgia, A.M.E

☆ Live updates: Trump lawyers argue in Georgia 2020 election case motions hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Dan Berman | Andrew Menezes | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Fulton Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee departs after presiding over a hearing at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta on November 15. But it’s in Georgia where he and his alleged co-conspirators face a combined 41 state charges for trying to overturn legitimate election results in the 2020 presidential election. This is the first time Trump’s attorneys will appear in court in the Fulton County case, though their client won’t be with them. Trump hasn’t yet been in the Atlanta courthouse – he previously waived his right to an arraignment hearing – though he was processed at the Fulton County jail in late August. Read more about the Georgia election subversion case.

Persons: Scott McAfee, Arvin Temkar, Donald Trump’s, Trump, ” Drew Findling –, Steven Sadow, Jennifer Little, Sadow, “, ” Sadow, Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell, Chesebro, Powell, McAfee Organizations: Reuters, Trump, United Locations: Fulton, Atlanta, Georgia, United States, Fulton County

☆ Trump should not face trial in Georgia if he wins 2024 election, lawyer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Andrew Goudsward | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

John David Mercer/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Dec 1 (Reuters) - A lawyer for Donald Trump said on Friday that the former U.S. president should not face trial on charges that he sought to overturn the 2020 election results in the state of Georgia if he wins the election next year. Trump is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic President Joe Biden in the 2024 election. Sadow said that if Trump wins the election, he would seek to postpone the trial until after he left office, arguing that it would interfere with his responsibilities as president. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis last week requested the Georgia trial begin in August 2024, a timeline that would likely extend the proceedings through Election Day and into early 2025. “What would be the state's response that having this trial on Election Day is election interference?” Judge Scott McAfee asked prosecutors.

Persons: Steve Sadow, Donald Trump, Scott McAfee, Donald John Trump, John David Mercer, Steven Sadow, Trump, Joe Biden, Sadow, Sadow’s, Fani Willis, Nathan Wade, “, ” Trump, ” Sadow, McAfee, Andrew Goudsward, Scott Malone, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Republican, Democratic, Trump, Thomson Locations: Superior Court, Fulton County, Georgia, Atlanta , Georgia, U.S

Atlanta CNN —Former President Donald Trump’s attorneys in the Georgia election subversion case are set to defend their client in a Fulton County courtroom for the first time on Friday as they try to have the charges thrown out on First Amendment grounds. This is the first time Trump’s attorneys will appear in court in the Fulton County case, though their client won’t be with them. Trump hasn’t yet been in the Atlanta courthouse – he previously waived his right to an arraignment hearing – though he was processed at the Fulton County jail in late August. She used a similar legal strategy in a 2014 RICO case in Fulton County, according to a source familiar with the matter. Despite his mounting legal debt and the fact that he is almost 80, sources close to Giuliani said he intends to fight the Georgia case.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Trump, ” Drew Findling –, Steven Sadow, Jennifer Little, Sadow, “, ” Sadow, Scott McAfee, Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell, Chesebro, Powell, McAfee, Trump’s, Fani Willis, ” Willis, Jack Smith, Smith, ”, Willis ’, Eastman, John Eastman, Fulton, Donald Trump, Willis, Mark Meadows, Jeffrey Clark, Clark, Meadows, ” “, Bob Cheeley, Cheeley, Robert Cheeley, Cheeley’s, Buddy Parker, Rudy Giuliani –, haven’t, Giuliani, Allyn Stockton Jr, David Shafer, ” Shafer, Rudy Giuliani’s, Robert Costello, Giuliani groped, CNN Giuliani, Brian Tevis, David Wolfe, CNN’s Paula Reid, Evan Perez, Marshall Cohen Organizations: Atlanta CNN —, Trump, United, Fulton, Republican, Prosecutors, Washington Post, “, U.S, CNN, Trump Trump, Trump White House, Secret, Justice, Appeals, DC, Georgia’s, Senate, Atlanta Public Schools, Georgia Republican Party, Georgia State Senate, Electoral College, New, Atlanta Locations: Georgia, Fulton, Atlanta, United States, Fulton County, Washington , DC, Meadows, ” Meadows, Washington, Trump, State of Georgia, New York, Aidala, Stockton, Rabun County

☆ Jenna Ellis: Former Trump campaign lawyer pleads guilty in Georgia case
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington CNN —Former Trump campaign lawyer Jenna Ellis pleaded guilty Tuesday in the Georgia election subversion case and will cooperate with Fulton County prosecutors – the third guilty plea in the past week. At an unscheduled hearing in Atlanta, Ellis pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting false statements, a felony stemming from the election lies that Ellis and other Donald Trump lawyers peddled to Georgia lawmakers in December 2020. The development comes after back-to-back guilty pleas last week in the sprawling case from former Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro, who helped devise the fake electors plot. So far, four have pleaded guilty. Implicating GiulianiThe plea from Ellis implicated Giuliani in a state crime – lying to Georgia legislators by peddling false voter-fraud theories.

Persons: Jenna Ellis, –, Ellis, Donald Trump, peddled, ” Ellis, Trump, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, Fani Willis, Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, Powell, “, ”, Giuliani, Chesebro, abetted ” Giuliani, Ray Smith, Smith, Joe Biden, Ellis ’, Steve Sadow, Ellis “ doesn’t, ” Sadow, DA Willis, hasn’t, Ron DeSantis Organizations: Washington CNN —, Trump, Fulton, Prosecutors, Georgia Senate, Florida Gov, Republican Locations: Georgia, Fulton, Atlanta, Fulton County, Chesebro, “, Colorado, Trump, Florida

The pleas are a stark display of the reality that the Georgia case against Trump and his co-defendants is getting stronger. For two prominent Trump co-defendants – Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro – the looming five-month trial, potentially resulting in a yearslong prison sentence, appears to have spurred them into flipping. Chesebro directly implicated Trump in a criminal conspiracy, and his plea establishes for the first time that the fake electors plot was illegal. Trump is the only person charged thus far in the federal case, but both Chesebro and Powell are unindicted co-conspirators. Sadow brushed off the threat of possible testimony from Chesebro and Powell at Trump’s eventual trial on the Georgia election subversion charges.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jack Smith, Trump, – Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro –, Trump Chesebro, Chesebro, Powell, Powell’s, Steve Sadow, Trump’s, Chesebro’s, ”, “, Fani Willis, Michael Cohen, Cohen, Sadow, ” Sadow Organizations: CNN, Trump, Justice, White, Prosecutors, Justice Department Locations: Fulton County , Georgia, Georgia, “, Coffee County , Georgia, Fulton, New York, Chesebro

☆ Kenneth Chesebro: Pro-Trump lawyer pleads guilty in Georgia election subversion case, implicates Trump in fake elector conspiracy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Marshall Cohen Nick Valencia Maxime Tamsett Fabiana Chaparro | Marshall Cohen | Nick Valencia | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

It comes one day after former Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell also pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. Fulton County prosecutors recommended that he serve 5 years of probation and pay $5,000 in restitution, and Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee imposed that sentence at Friday’s hearing. Three defendants have now pleaded guilty in the sprawling racketeering case: Chesebro, Powell and Georgia-based bail bondsman Scott Hall. Powell and Hall both admitted their roles in the January 2021 breach of election systems in rural Coffee County, Georgia. At a hearing earlier this week, Fulton County prosecutors and attorneys for Chesebro haggled over how many politically charged questions should be included.

Persons: Kenneth Chesebro, Donald Trump, Fani Willis, Trump, Sidney Powell, Chesebro, Scott McAfee, Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Powell, Mike Pence, Joe Biden’s, “, Daysha Young, bondsman Scott Hall, Hall, McAfee, misapplied, Jack Smith, Steve Sadow, ” Sadow, Jan, impartially, MAGA, Donald Trump’s, ”, “ MAGA, “ MAGA Republicans ”, Chesebro’s Organizations: Atlanta CNN, Trump, Fulton, Giuliani, Eastman, Prosecutors, Hall, Justice, CNN, “ MAGA Republicans Locations: Georgia, Fulton County, Fulton, Powell, Coffee County , Georgia, Washington , DC

☆ Drew Findling: Trump replaces top Georgia lawyer ahead of surrender
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Kristen Holmes | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Former President Donald Trump has replaced his top Georgia lawyer ahead of his surrender Thursday evening, sources tell CNN. “We look forward to the case being dismissed or, if necessary, an unbiased, open minded jury finding the president not guilty. Trump’s processing through the facility will likely be completed quickly because the former president and his lawyers negotiated his consent bond agreement ahead of Thursday. Trump agreed to a $200,000 bond and other release conditions, including not using social media to target the co-defendants and witnesses in the case. In June, he removed two of the top attorneys representing him in the federal indictment into his alleged mishandling of classified documents.

Persons: Donald Trump, Drew Findling, Steven Sadow, Sadow, ”, Trump, ” Sadow Organizations: CNN Locations: Georgia, Atlanta, Fulton County , Georgia

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